Fine-tuning the Hyundai i30 N on the roughest roads in the UK

Following the extreme weather testing in Sweden with Thierry Neuville, the Hyundai i30 N prototype gets tested on the most challenging roads in the UK.

Monday, May 15, 2017 — The Hyundai i30 N is continuing its intensive development through numerous tests by Hyundai engineers. Following the recent winter test in Sweden with Thierry Neuville, World Rally Championship driver of Hyundai Motorsport, the i30 N has now completed its testing programme on the most challenging roads in the UK.

With the i30 N, Hyundai Motor will launch its first high performance model carrying the ‘N’ logo. Based on the New Generation Hyundai i30, the i30 N is developed from the ground up to deliver maximum fun to drive on the road and on the track. The ‘N’ stands for Namyang, Hyundai Motor’s global R&D Centre, and for the Nürburgring, one of the most demanding race tracks in the world and home to Hyundai Motor’s European Test Centre. The ‘N’ logo resembles a chicane, representing the ultimate driving experience on winding roads.

In the UK, the i30 N prototype was tested on public roads by Hyundai Motor’s engineers to fine-tune and check the current status of development, focusing on the car’s adaptive suspension and different drive modes.

“We are getting closer and closer to the final development stage of the i30 N,” said Albert Biermann, Executive Vice President and Head of Vehicle Test & High Performance Development at Hyundai Motor Company.

“The road testing serves to check if the driving performance of our first Hyundai N high performance car can meet our future customers’ requirements. We have to make sure that on these challenging UK roads the driving performance is also well suited to everyday use. There are plenty of fun and challenging corners out here – the N Team loves corners!”

At the end of May, two close-to-production i30 N vehicles will enter the ADAC Zurich 24-hour race at the Nürburgring. Both cars will be competing with a 2.0-litre turbo engine and six-speed manual transmission – the same powertrain and transmission set-up that will be used in the production i30 N. The race will give Hyundai Motor’s engineers more valuable insights about necessary refinements and potential performance enhancements for the i30 N ahead of its launch this summer.